Amazon Flex
Amazon Flex
is the new service offered by Amazon. Flex is supposed to get you your packages
sooner by hiring independent drivers to bring them to your house. This service
is comparable to Uber in that drivers are normal people that can make their own
schedules. However, unlike Uber the drivers are paid on an hourly set wage,
which can vary from $18 to $25 dollars an hour. Although drivers can set their
schedules like Uber, with Amazon Flex drivers must commit to at least a
two-hour shift. Shifts can vary from two to eight hours at a time. For this
product to take off successfully though Amazon needs be able to attract
trustworthy and reputable drivers. This could prove to be a problem with the
economy rising and more jobs being available in the coming years. Amazon need
to bank on these people wanting to stay with them over getting a real full time
job when they begin to appear more. The only requirements to become a driver
are your own car, a driver’s license, and an android phone so that Amazon can
install their Amazon Driver’s app. Uber released data in January showing that
driver can make up to as much as $30 dollars an hour trying to combat this new
service amazon is attempting to implement that could take drivers away from
their service. However, this data only applies to Uber drivers in New York
City. Most other large cities only average around $13-$15 dollars an hour
making the guaranteed money and shifts from Amazon a much more appealing offers.
I feel that
amazon flex could potentially take off, but has plenty of kinks to work out. For
one thing the customer who is receiving the package may not be comfortable with
a stranger delivering their package in their own car. Who is to say that
drivers could not just make off with your packages? I know that amazon probably
has a tracking system and does do background checks on their drivers, but
things can always happen. I feel like a random car on the road is much more
likely to be broken into or stolen that a large UPS delivery truck. We will
just have to see how Amazon Flex does, but I feel that it may end up being a
huge bust. Large companies like UPS and FedEx will not just sit back and allow
these independent drivers take away from their business without a fight. We
have seen how the taxi service has hostilely responded to the Uber industry.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/09/30/what-amazons-uber-like-delivery-service-means-for-the-sharing-economy/
Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6djmvemLDag
The biggest problem with Flex seems to be acquiring workers, and that may be9 deceivingly difficult to overcome. Uber seems like it would be very convenient to work because a driver can manage a day job, as most Ubers are needed on weekend nights. However, package delivery seems to be something done during the daytime hours and is usually completed by the time many people start driving Ubers for the night. So being a Flex driver and working a regular "day shift" at a job would be very difficult with the two hour minimum requirement. Incentivizing people to drive Flex over Uber or taxi's may be a matter of money, but that may also deter customers. If Flex becomes too expensive, customers seeking immediate gratification will probably just go to a physical store and buy what they need. Furthermore, with Amazon Prime already in operation, the demand for Flex may simply not be there.
ReplyDeleteI believe Amazon flex has a ton of potential and could possibly be the perfect job for a college student. Many college students today have cars on their campus and I believe that many students would be open to working for Amazon doing deliveries. After all, it seems to be easy money. Why work a grueling, minimum wage job on campus for 4-5 hours a shift when you can work two hours a day and make just as much, if not more, cash. The two-hour shift requirement leaves plenty of time for students to focus on schoolwork and other activities as well as driving. The wage of $18-$25 per hour definitely makes for a “pretty penny,” and I think it is very convenient that the employee has the power to schedule their own work hours when they have free time. One thing I am curious about is whether or not Amazon will pay for the driver’s gas expenses. Driving for multiple hours can definitely require a lot of gas, and whether or not this expense is paid for could definitely be a deal breaker for some people.
ReplyDeleteI think that Amazon, having drone delivery service in the works, should not waste their time, money, and efforts on this type of system, which clearly has a number of problems. In a few years, when Amazon perfects its drone delivery service, human deliveries will be obsolete within the company. Furthermore, there is too much relying on people's desire to work a lot, and their work ethics. As mentioned, they need trustworthy people, and Amazon will need to try and accommodate their workers, but try and make sure all hours are covered for all products. Not only that, but they might need to have more locations so that drivers can get to and from their destinations more quickly. This plan just seems pointless to me at this stage in Amazon.
ReplyDeleteI think that Amazon, having drone delivery service in the works, should not waste their time, money, and efforts on this type of system, which clearly has a number of problems. In a few years, when Amazon perfects its drone delivery service, human deliveries will be obsolete within the company. Furthermore, there is too much relying on people's desire to work a lot, and their work ethics. As mentioned, they need trustworthy people, and Amazon will need to try and accommodate their workers, but try and make sure all hours are covered for all products. Not only that, but they might need to have more locations so that drivers can get to and from their destinations more quickly. This plan just seems pointless to me at this stage in Amazon.
ReplyDelete